Of Giants and Gods
by BetaRayThorse
Summary: This is the story of how Laufey falls for Prince Odin the first time he visits Asgard and how their relationship develops. This is also the story of how despite having no royal blood, Laufey takes the throne and goes from having his name praised to having it hated. Laufey/Odin
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: Canon is borrowed from MCU and comics more so than mythology. Warnings for future cannibalism, mpreg, and canonical character death.

* * *

Laufey stood by his mother's side in one of Asgard's giant golden halls. On each side of the room was a giant statue of Bor's father. Today was a special day for the apprentice. His mother was attending a meeting with King Bor and King Thrymr. Today, he would be joining him. Laufey was expected to be quiet, attentive, and speak only when spoken to. Until the day he took his mother's place, he was only a spectator.

His mother stood tall beside kKng Thrymr. The king was large even for a Frost Giant, and Hefring proudly matched his height. Like all Jotnar, she wore only a loin cloth around a hips. A patch of leather hung over her flat chest that bore Thrymr's crest and her family's crest. Laufey wore an almost identical patch over his own chest, the only difference being that it lacked the king's crest.

King Thrymr towered over Laufey. The apprentice only came up to the man's abdomen. He hoped that soon, when he was finished with puberty, that he would be tall like his mother and rival the king. Sadly, the short height his father was said to have stood diminished that chance.

It had been mere hours since the Jotnar had arrived into the kingdom. Later they would sit in another room to speak, but for know they were standing in two group, one containing the blue folk and the other with the warm-bloods.

"Laufey."

The apprentice looked away the statue of the previous king. "Yes, King Bor?"

He gestured to one of the blond Aesir at the table in the middle of the room playing a game with twigs. He looked to be younger than Laufey, still not even close to getting facial hair like the warm-bloods around the Jotun's age did. The child was sitting next to another Asgardian just a bit older than Laufey. The older one had light hair down to his shoulders and a braid on each side of his head. He looked over at the Jotun, and Laufey found himself wanting to speak to him. For an Asgardian, he looked interesting. On the other side of him was yet another child, and this one seemed like he still had his first set of teeth.

"You will join us at court another day. For now, spend some time with my son Vili."

Laufey glanced over at Herfing. Today was supposed to be a special day for him; the idea of having to wait until the next meeting was dreadful. Much to his despair, she nodded in approval.

The oldest Asgardian of the group stood. "I can take him, Father."

On second thought, the change might not be so bad after all.

"Odin?" Bor asked. "Would you not rather stay?"

The Asgardian named Odin shook his head and walked over to Laufey. He came up to Laufey's waist, and for the twelfth time that day, Laufey found himself remembering how strange the height of warm-bloods was.

"I am closer to his age. It would make more sense for me to take him than Vili," Odin explained.

Bor took a moment to think over his answer, then nodded. The group of Aesir and Jotnar moved to the other room while Odin turned to face Laufey. He held out his hand, and Laufey shook it. His blue hand dwarfed the lighter one of Odin's, but the prince paid no attention. He acted like he too was a giant.

"I am Odin Borson, heir to Asgard."

"I am Laufey Hefringson, heir to the adviser of the king."

And when he inherited the title, he would lose his equivalent of a surname, and the remaining members of his family would become Laufeysons and Laufeydottirs.

Odin seemed to be a bit confused by this answer. He glanced over at Hefring with a curious expression but asked no questions. If Laufey focused, he could make out a few words of the Jotnar and Aesir's conversation. They were talking about trade, mostly the exchange of Jotunheim's rare metals for the gold and iron that it lacked. When he looked back over, Odin's eyes were still on him.

"Come. Let me show you the palace," Odin said.

Laufey nodded. "I have been wanting to see it."

With that, the prince slipped his grip a bit higher so he was holding Laufey's waist and led him out of the room and into a wide hall. It was big enough to store the Mountain Giants of legend. Once they were a good distance down the hall, Odin spoke up. Laufey had been too busy observing his surroundings to speak.

"I will take you to the feasting hall first. The cooks should still have some food from lunch they can serve us."

Laufey nodded. It was good to see the warm-blood was a decent enough host to offer food to his guest first. "A good plan. Now, Borson, there is a question I want to ask."

To be honest, there were a thousand questions Laufey wanted to ask. Asgard was so different than the home he had grown up in. Did the Aesir ever get too hot? Why did they have hair coming out of their head? How did they manage to get around despite being so small? How come they only bore the name of their father instead of the leader of the family? However, there would be time later for learning all the answers to all those questions. This was only his first trip outside of Jotunheim, and he was sure he would make hundreds of more, so today he would settle with only one question.

"Very well. Ask and I will answer if I can. In return, I want to ask a question of my own," Odin replied.

"Fair enough. Now, my question. Is it true that your kind stay with one lover your entire life?"

Odin stopped walking and turned to face his guest. Aesir walked on past them. Many would glance at the curious sight of their prince with a Jotun as they walked by.

"We do. When we come of age, we find someone we love and marry them. We love no one but the other person for the rest of our lives. Well, we try to. Are you telling me you do not do the same?" There was no judgment in his tone, for which Laufey is glad. The Borson had an open mind.

"We do not. We bed whoever we wish and marry only those we wish to have a family with. Most have a small number of spouses. We do not believe affection should be hoarded." Large families could quickly get difficult. Laufey could have went into more detail and explained how heat cycles and naming played a role in his society, but he decided to spare Odin the details.

"I see. What an interesting way to think of things." Odin resumed their walk. "And now for my question. Is it true your kind have no women?" Laufey laughed. He didn't laugh to mock Odin, but he laughed at how strange the question was. Odin raised an eyebrow. "Did I say something wrong? I don't mean to offend."

Laufey shook his head, still chuckling. "Nay, not at all." He placed his hand over chest. "The difference between sexes for us Jotnar is not as clear as it is for you Aesir. Both genders lack breasts." He saw another question form on Odin's lip, so he decided to answer it before he could ask we. "We suck on ice from deep within Jotunheim as babes. Anyway, the differences are small like having wider hips and eyes that are a bit more circular. Since your kind don't see mine often, I'm not surprised you get our sexes confused."

"I feel foolish now." Odin laughed to himself. "I thank you for telling me. That may have prevented several misunderstandings from happening in the future."

Finally they arrived in the kitchen. True to the prince's words, there were several plates of food left out. A few Aesir still remained sitting at one of the around hundred tables in the room. Odin sat down and motioned for Laufey to take the spot next to him. It did not take long for them to be served. The prince helped himself to some ale and wide variety of food, while Laufey stuck with water and some boar meat.

They talked as they ate, and Laufey caught the prince staring at him many times when the warm-blood thought he was distracted by something else. It made the apprentice smile. It seemed he wasn't the only one who thought his companion was attractive.

While they were in the middle of talking about a famous sorcerer in Alfheim, a large man stood up and grabbed the much shorter man sitting across from him by his shirt. Odin stopped in the middle of his sentence to watch the two.

"I swear! I will have your money to you soon!" The smaller man shouted. The larger being shook him, causing the other to yelp.

Laufey watched the confrontation with interest. In his opinion, it was shameful on both parties to be dealing with their personal business in public. He wanted to see how it would play out and wondered how his mother would respond to the event.

"You told me a month. It's been twice that, so I ask you, where is your payment?!" The larger man demanded.

Odin excused himself before crossing the room and placing his hand over the one on the man's shirt. The owner of said hand froze. Laufey was impressed.

"You know as well as I do, Erik, that the crops have come in late this year," Odin said. "There is nothing a farmer can do about that, and your threatening will do neither you nor Asgard any good. Wait, and you will have your money."

The man who was a good two heads taller than Odin sat back down. In that moment, the Borson seemed to be a giant despite his size. Laufey realized then that the Asgardian and his blood would go far and do many things.

He could see himself falling in love with the warm-blood.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: I had fun with Sleipnir, because why not?

* * *

Laufey watched the strange energies of the Casket flow inside of it. He sat on the floor a few feet away from it at the top of Jotunheim's castle.

The Casket of Ancient Winters. Thrymr and the king before him had carried this into every battle and brought it to other towns on special occasions. According to the sorcerers and sorceresses , this cube was what prevented summer from ever coming to Jotunheim. Its magic made it so their homes never thawed. It even let them show their enemies what true winter was like. It was why Jotunheim was grand.

Hefring had told him before that it was his father's family who made this. The creator of the Casket had gone by the name Byleistr. To the boy, Byleistr was a beautiful name, certainly one worthiness to pass down to his own child when the time came. His father had been nothing to boast of while he still lived, but the apprentice enjoyed knowing that he carried the blood of the one who made the treasured Casket.

Berkhard, his father, had died while Laufey was still young. He was an inventor, like his parents and their parents before had been. He had been tasked with coming up with new ways to fix things that was inefficient. He had a clever mind. His mother often said Laufey thought like his father. Berkhard had been examining a new way to farm when illness snatched his life.

Footsteps sounded in the otherwise quiet room. Laufey looked behind him to see Hefring.

"It is time to go. We need to pick armor before the best pieces are sold."

Laufey nodded and stood. "I am on my way."

* * *

A blizzard was coming, but the Jotun didn't let that stop him. To a creature of the ice itself, the only threat snow posed was making things harder to see. Laufey could deal with that. He only needed to follow the mountain in the distance to reach the legendary Utgard. He had uncovered a hint to where the Mountain Giants lived in an old, dusty book at the back of the royal library while seeking a tome on herbs. If he had read the book correctly, the race would live just outside the pixie infested forest. Laufey could understand why no one found them. Pixies were loathed by all of Jotunheim, and travel through uncharted land was avoided like it carried the plague.

One of the small, hand sized creatures darted out of its hiding place in a tree and began to pluck at the ridges on Laufey's skin. With a growl, he tapped the pest. It froze then fell to the ground.

The teenager would be joining his mother soon in court. Before he ascended into adulthood, he wanted his name to be known. He wanted to find something that was unknown to his kind, and the Mountain Giants were believed to be extinct. The last sighting was five hundred years ago, but Laufey hoped they had only gone into hiding. Surely such a giant race had to be alive still.

Jotunheim was not a place that had ever been fully explored. Thrymr might claim to be the king of Jotunheim, but in reality, it was only the Frost Giants who submitted to his rule. Though intelligent enough to do, the pixies did not call him their king. The three Jotnar who lived in the water like fish barely even knew King Thrymr's name. The Frost Giants were the sole race plentiful enough to from a civilization, and thus they called the world theirs.

Jotunheim was a lethal place. Venture too far from home, and one may ran into one of the larger wild beasts, and it took an entire band of skilled hunters to take one down when prepared. Starving to death was common. Sometimes ice would break and an unsuspecting Jotun would fall hundreds of feet into a cliff or into a body of water and drown. e had spent months preparing for his journey, and Laufey was determined to carry out his search despite the danger. Mere feet were all that was left between him and the supposed Utgard.

The thinning of the trees was a welcome relief. Two days he had walked through that forest. Two days tripping over plants that needed naming and carefully avoiding sleeping monsters.

Finally, he stepped into the opening once more, and he knew his quest was successful. Great houses that had been built out of wood and stone stood in a clearing, so unlike the ice homes he was used to. Moving between them were people even a Frost Giant would call giant. There were giant pieces of cloth hung up to dry and weapons carved out of wood as large as Laufey himself. They towered over the apprentice, easily five times the size of any normal Frost Giant. Their skin was a darker shade of blue than Laufey's own, and they lacked the markings he was familiar with.

He advanced carefully. He had found the Mountain Giants, but he had no guarantee they would be kind to him. He wiggled his fingers, mentally going over the feeling of an icy dagger if he needed to make one.

One of the Mountain Giants noticed him before Laufey had the chance to make himself known. His face lit up with curiosity and delight. He nudged a woman standing next to him, then pointed to the small giant. Laufey froze. Their accent was strange, but he could understand most of their conversation.

"A Frost Giant. I have not seen one of those in decades," the man said.

The woman appeared to roll her eyes before returning to carving something out of wood. "And? They are fools. Their king wants to start a war over a personal grudge."

"Which makes his appearance all the more remarkable. It takes a special fool to find Utgard."

The words stung. Laufey Hefringson was no fool. He spent hours everyday making sure he wasn't so he could better serve his home. Laufey glanced at the forest behind him. It had been a hard journey, but what prevented other, more skilled Jotnar from taking it was only motivation.

"Or a lost one," the woman pointed out. "If you are so interested, speak to him and help him back home before he gets himself killed. The wolves will be out tonight."

"Of course. It would be shame if those wolves were fed." He turned back towards his companion. "Don't worry. I'll test his blood first."

Wolves? Laufey had not expected to encounter wolves. This far out, they could be half the size of the royal castle, and the apprentice lacked the proper knowledge to defeat them. Ymir's legs. Getting home suddenly seemed like a more lethal task than finding Utgard.

The male Jotun approached him, and he squatted so that he could look Laufey in his eye. The Frost Giant had to make the first move, had to show that he was indeed no fool.

"Greetings." He stood as tall as he could. "I am Laufey Hefringson, soon to be adviser of King Thrymr. I have ventured from Gastropnir on rumors of your kind lying out here."

The giant chuckled. His eyes were the same red that belonged to the Frost Giants, and they were lit up with amusement. He held out his hand. Laufey placed his much smaller in the middle of his palm.

"Well, you've found us. I expect you to keep our location a secret, understand? I mean no offense, but we like to keep to ourselves," the giant replied.

Laufey could do nothing but nod. "I will consent to that." If the Mountain Giants wished to remain a secret, for the sake of his health, he would agree. He would be overwhelmed if he needed to defend himself. Still, he felt a pang of sadness. His quest had been a success, yet he could not enjoy the benefits such a discovery should have brought. It was a shame.

"Good. My name is Helblindi." He gently shook Laufey's hand. "Now, Laufey of Gastropnir, a person's blood tells a lot about a person. I want to test yours."

Test his blood? Laufey was clueless as to what that could mean, and if he should agree or not. Would it harm him? Would it put him at a disadvantage? He knew nothing about then Mountain Giants and their ways. They might eat him, curse him, or bewitch him through his blood.

"And if I refuse?" Laufey asked.

"Then I will not give you advise on how to avoid the wolves tonight," Helblindi replied with a smirk on his face.

Laufey sighed. Wolves were a certain danger. Helblindi was an uncertain one. Best to take the lesser of the two evils.

"You may."

Helbindi pricked the skin of Laufey's palm with the nail of his thumb. Laufey made sure not to flinch. The Mountain Giant took the bit of blood on his thumb from the small cut and licked it. His eyes widened in amazement. Laufey stared up at the man. What was happening to him? What kind of magic was that?

"You are going to be a remarkable person, Laufey. Jotunheim shall change greatly under your rule, and your name will be remembered for generations. It is an honor to meet you," Helblindi said, awestruck.

Ah. He aced the test, it seemed. He took the words as a prophecy. Laufey _would_ achieve greatness, and he would work tirelessly to see that Jotunheim rose to a new glory while he worked with the king.

Centuries later, it will occur to Laufey that Helblindi did not say his name would be remembered fondly.

The Mountain Giant stood. "You should start your return home now. If you are lucky, you will be well into the forest by night fall. Travel where the pixies are most dense. They are pests, but the wolves will not come near them for that very reason"

Laufey nodded. He could manage that. "Before I go, I wish to bring something back. I will not show it to anyone else, but I will keep it as proof to myself that your people are real."

"I will grant your request. Wait here."

Helblindi headed into a large house not too far off. He returned holding an old black tome, and Laufey took it when it was offered to him. He opened a page at random then quickly scanned it.

It contained the history of Utgard. Helblindi's gift was one he would treasure.

"Thank you, Helblindi. I will keep it safe," Laufey promised.

"Make sure you do. Now, return to your home. You may visit us again when the moon hangs full in the sky. The wolves hunt on the other side of the ice then."

Grateful for the invitation, Laufey turned and left.

True to Helblindi's words, he could hear the wolves roaming through the woods that night. He walked through the pixie infested paths to avoid them. He arrived at the capital covered in bruises, but at least he had all his limbs.

* * *

"Come, Laufey! You must see what I have done!"

Odin was smiling as wide as he could. Seeing the absolute joy on the other's face, Laufey couldn't stop from smiling himself.

Though King Thrymr had not visited Asgard again, Laufey had took it upon himself to occasionally travel to the realm. Odin would always be glad to see him and make sure a room remained empty for him. With such a warm reaction, Laufey found he hard to stay away. He adored the prince, and treasured each moment he spent with him. From the way Odin reacted to him, he knew his feelings were returned.

They stood in the grassy field behind the palace, where the horses grazed. Odin had offered to take him riding before, but as Laufey was taller than every horse Asgard had, that idea was quickly deemed impossible.

"Have you mistaken another person for an otter?" Laufey teased.

The prince quickly shook head. "That was one time, and anyone could have made that mistake! Now, follow me!"

He began to run towards the stable in the distance, and Laufey followed after.

He could spend an eternity on Asgard if it meant Odin was there with him.

They came to the royal stables. Several large beautiful horses were kept inside, and before Laufey could ask what was so impressive, Odin went to the stall at the very end of the stables. Inside it was a large black horse, so big that it almost touched the roof. It looked giant enough for his mother to ride. Stranger yet, it had eight legs. Laufey reached out to touch the horse, and Odin quickly grabbed his hand.

"Stop!" he urged. "I haven't tamed him yet. He's dangerous to touch."

The horse looked Laufey right in the eye and snorted as if to agree with what Odin said. Now that Laufey looked closer at the horse, he noticed that its strangeness did not end at its odd number of legs. Heat radiated from its being. The air appeared darker around around it. Even more, its eyes were completely yellow.

"This is not a normal horse, is it?" questioned Laufey.

Odin shook his head. "Nay. I found him while I was exploring one of Yggdrasil's branches in Muspelheim." He reached out and touched the horse's cheek. Its only response was to close its eyes. "He ran faster than any horse I've ever seen before. I even saw him spring across water! It took the combined efforts of Vili, Ve, and me to take him down. I have named him Sleipnir."

Laufey frowned. "What were doing in Muspelheim, Odin? That realm is forbidden for a reason. Surtur lives there."

Surtur. The father of all the fire demons and the being who would wield Twilight at the time of Ragnarok. The evil creature who would burn the nine realms.

Odin laughed. "Exploring, like I said! I am not afraid of Surtur, not when I have my brothers with me."

"You are not invincible. None of us are. If you value your life, you will not intrude in that realm again."

"You say that because you fear fire." Odin rolled his eyes. "If you doubt my strength, we can spar, and I will show you that the last thing you need worry about is me getting hurt."

Laufey smirked. "I accept your challenge, Borson. The first one on the ground is the loser."

Odin nodded in agreement before leaving the stables, and Laufey didn't need to be told to follow him. Once outside, both boys took a fighting stance. Being twice the size of the smaller boy and wearing only a loincloth, Laufey had a great advantage, but he knew Aesir were not made out of twigs and straw.

The Asgardian made the first move. He attempted to sweep Laufey's outstretched leg, but the apprentice was able to jump back in time. Without wasting a moment, Odin pushed against Laufey's chest. The gesture had plenty of power behind it, but the Jotun could tell the other was not used to fighting Frost Giants. Instead of stepping back, Laufey made a sheet of ice behind his back leg and bore against it. Odin pursed his lips.

"I am not like your other sparring partners, warm-blood," Laufey taunted.

He froze the hands connected to his chest. Odin's eyes widened, and before he had time to recover from the shock, he broke the ice with his elbow and flipped the boy. It was easy, like playing with a child.

Odin groaned as he hit the ground. He landed on his back, and Laufey quickly straddled him. He grabbed the boy's hands then pinned them above his head. Odin bucked his hips to try to make Laufey loosen his grip, but the Jotun offered no give. The blond sighed.

"I give. You win."

Laufey freed his hands. Odin began to rub them together and breathe on them to get rid of the remaining bits of ice.

"You are strong and talented," the Jotun said. "If I were not an unusual opponent, you would have won."

The prince laughed. "Then next time you visit, we will spar again, and I will prove your words right."

Laufey grinned. "I will hold you to that."

His compliment was genuine. Laufey had felt his strength in his movements, and he knew Odin would be a remarkable foe when he reached his prime. His eyes wondered down the small body. Odin was barely over five feet tall, yet he had the strength of someone twice his size. It was enticing.

Laufey became aware of Odin's breathing and how his chest rose and fell with each pain. He was on top of the man. He could feel the heat coming off of his body, which surprisingly wasn't unpleasant. He was mere inches from his face. The intimacy of the gesture must not have been lost on Odin either, for his face changed to a light shade of red.

Then, Odin lifted his head to kiss him.

It was unlike anything Laufey had ever felt before. His entire body seemed to come alive and yet everything around him disappeared. There was only Odin and the emotions between them. It was bliss.

He had indeed fallen in love with the prince.

Sadly, the moment was short lived.

"Ewww!" a young voice called out.

Odin's eyes widened. With a bit of effort, he scooted out from under Laufey. The apprentice was left confused wanting to wrap his arms around Odin to pull him back to him. Vili and Ve appeared from behind the stables.

"Odin likes Laufey!" Ve teased.

"Quiet!" Odin affectionately demeaned.

Ve giggled. "So that's why you've been wanting Papa to take us to Jotunheim."

The crown prince's face turned blood red. "Ve! Be quiet!"

He ran after his youngest brother, and the other began to run away. As Ve ran past Vili near the stables, the middle child tackled Odin. Ve jumped on top the two of them after they hit the ground. Odin groaned dramatically. Laufey remained where he was. It felt like a spectator watching a person family scene.

"Two against one?!" Odin complained. "You guys are cheating."

"We were watching you fight with Laufey." Vili said between bursts of laughter.

"Ah, so that's why you were watching," the eldest of the three said.

"Mh-hm. Anyway, if you can be beat by him, we clearly aren't doing our job as brothers." Vili continued.

In one effortless movement, Odin rolled over to be above the two younger boys. Laughter filled the field.

Somehow, the two children managed to pull Laufey into their wrestling match moments later. He found the playful wrestling more taxing than enjoyable. The children were so small it took all his attention not to harm them.

The Jotun decided that day that when he had children, he would have at least two. Today made him wish he himself had siblings.


End file.
